Hull Ice Arena

Hull Stingrays

This post is a bit of a cheat really, as I never witnessed the Hull Stingrays in action, as the team folded in 2015 due to those ubiquitous "Financial Difficulties".  They were formed in 2003, one of a line of ice hockey outfits who played out of the Hull Ice Arena: Humberside Seahawks, Humberside Hawks, Hull Thunder etc.  The Stingrays initially played for a few seasons in the second tier of British ice hockey, The National League, before taking the BIG step up to the top tier Elite Ice Hockey League commencing season 2006/7.

The Stingrays toiled to compete in this resource-hungry rarefied atmosphere, never once finishing above 7th place in the regular season.  Indeed, in 2010, the owners of league rivals Coventry Blaze actually had to step in and purchase the club in order for it to survive as long as it did.

2011 did, however, bring the club it's sole chunk of silverware: The P&O Cup, a four-team pre-season tournament which also featured Coventry Blaze, and a pair of Dutch sides (Geleen Eaters and Tilburg Trappers).  

The curtain finally came down for The Stingrays in 2015 when they were liquidated, ironically following their most successful league campaign - the club having reached the end-of-season play-off finals.

The city of Hull thereafter dusted itself down, and looked towards the lower tier leagues once more, and there are presently (as of September 2024) two clubs playing at the Ice Arena: Hull Seahawks and Hull Jets.